Pencil



Aug. 3 1926.

Ays.

nu., N V/ 5. IKM n.5 DUT 1 V,B. MU X, e 4 AW w wf ZL T1@ mw.; Lmm A. l m

l 4 Yse, 4 a

Patented Aug.` 3, 1926.

' UNITE-D STAT-EES PATENT o'FFlcE.

ALEX F SOUTH BOSTONQ MASSACHUSETTS.

PENCIL.

Application itiled Hatch 25, 1 924. Serial lo. '701,854.

l in which a section of lead in a pencil may be actuated either to` project it beyond the tipgof the pencil for writing or to retract it into the pencil to protect the lead when it is not in use.

.Another object ofthe invention is to provide a lead propelling and retractingpencil having'a lead holding member so constructed that-itfirmly grips one end of a .sectiomof lead in order that when it is propelled and retracted the lead is projected beyond the tip ofthe pencll or withdrawn within the pencil.

'A further object of the invention is to provide in a pencil ofthe above type a lead holding member so constructed that although the end of a section of lead isl lrmly gripped by said member the lead may easily-:be removed therefrom when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a pencil of the above type having a lead holding member, an ejector cooperating with said member by which the lead may be ejected both from the lead holding member` and the pencil without taking apart the pencil. Y'

A still further object of the invention is .to provide a lead propelling and retracting pencil so constructed that the lead holding member may be taken out ofthe pencil to remove the end of a section of lead if this should become necessary. I

Other objects and featuresof the invention are to generally improve the construction of pencils of this type as will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. Y

The drawings illustrate in section', elevation and detail a pencil embodying the present invention.

' Fig. 1 is a vsection longitudinally through.

`the pencil;

y; ifF'g. 2'is an enlarged sectional detail View #of the end portion of the-lead holding member rshowing the manner in which the lead is @gripped thereby;

Fig.'3 ls'a section .on' line 3-'3, Figl; Fig. 4 is a' detail elevation of the point member with the sleeve extending upwardly therefrom, the barrel ofthe pencil being moved to show the dpropelling and lead discharging devices, an

f Fig. 5 is a detail View of a modified. construction for. holdingthe plug of the er-4 pelling mechanism in the sleeve which is connected to the pointmember of the pencil. y j

The preferred form of encil embodying the invention illustrated lerein comprises a casing having a point member through which a section of lead may be propelled and retracted having within the casing a lead holding member for gripping the end of the section of lead and means to advance or retract the lead holding repel the lead.

The' casing comprises the barrel 1 and the point member Q'having therein an opening 3 through which a section of lead 4, gripped at its inner end by the lead holding member, may be propelled to advance the outer end 5 of the lead beyond the point member of the pencil for writing or retracted into the pencil to protect th'e lead whenit is not in use. The barrelv and point member may have any desired exterior form member to propel or'` in order to make the pencil attractive. They ally engages the inner surface of the barrel to resist movement of the barrel relative to the sleeve and point member, although such movement is permitted if enough force is exerted to overcome the friction.

The section of lead used in the pencil is held therein by being gripped by the lead holding-member which also impartsl movelment to the lead to propel or repel it relatively to the point member of the pencil.

The 'lead2 holding member is preferably a tube 7 of such a. size that it may freely move longitudinally of the pencil within the opening 3 vin the point member. In order to grip the end of the section of lead the lead holding member is provided with a .recess 8 which extends -fromthe end 9 of the member longitudinally thereof. The wall ofthe a section of lead and for that purpose preferably is provided with a straight` portion l of a diameter to receive and frictionally engagea section of lead and a tapered portionl1 extending from said Straight portion toward the bore l2 of the tube into which the end of the section of lead may be forced rmiy to grip the extreme inner -end 13 of the lead. Thus when the lead is in the recess it is held there by frictional engagement with the wall of the recess and by being wedged into the tapered portion thereof and will be prevented from rotation or displacement when the pencil is in use. f A slot 15 14 is formed in and longitudinally of the lead holding member from the end 9 so that the wall of 'the-member at the recess may have some spring in order that it may firmly v grip the lead in the recess. The slot may be 2 used at certain times to remove the lead from the recess as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The lead holding member may be made of any Asuitable material, preferably metal, and

it is recognized that some of the materials from which the lead holding member may bemade may have suticient spring to them so' that when the slot 14 is cut, the walls of the lead holding member may be wedged apart when a section'of lead is forced into the recess and permit the end of the lead to move' a great distance down the lead holding member and possibly beyond the end of the slot. In order to prevent this a shoulder 15 is provided Within the lead holding member at the bottom of the recess to forma seatl for the end of the section of lead. Thus when the section of lead is inserted in the recess it continues .to move into the recess until its 40 Lend brings Yup against the shoulder when further movement stops and it is gripped by the wall of the recess with .enough force securely to hold the lead in the lead holding member but enable it easily to be removed therefrom by means hereinafter t0 be described.

The lead holding member is 4mowed by means of a cross-head 16 fast thereto` The cross-head projects through two longitudinal slots formed in the opposite side of the sleeve 6 and is provided with threads 17 which engage and co-operate with threads 18 formed on the inner surface of the barrel so that as the barrel is rotated relatively to 5 the point member of the pencil the crosshead is moved longitudinally within the pencilto ,advance or retract the lead holding member which; movement propels or repels the section of lead.` From the forego- 9 ing description it will be readily seen that ',Qfthe cross-head is prevented fromrevolving Y Vwith the barrel due to the guideway but 'is permitted to have movement longitudinally of the pencil throughout the entire length of the guideway. Y Y

.teeacoe Means are provided by which the lead may be freed and expelled fromthe lead holding member. Such means is preferably an ejector rod or wire 20 -capable of movementrelative to the lead holding member and extending through the bore l2 of the lead holding member. The rod is of such a length that when it is moved through the leadholding member toward the end 9 it will loosenthe lead in the recess and is preferably of such a length that it will entirely expel the lead. The inner end of the rod 20 extends from the bore of the lead holding member through an opening in the cross-head 16 and is fastened to a sliding plug 22 'which fits wit-hin the sleeve 6 and is capable of movement relative thereto. Thus the ejector unit comprises the wire or rod 20 and the sliding plug 22 which are freely mounted within theJ pencil and capable of movement relative to any other part:

Movement of the rod is limited, however, so that it may be held stationary when it is being used to eject lead from the lead holding member. The means for accomplishing this is preferably a hollow plu-g secured in the end of the sleeve 6. As illustrated in Fig. l the plug 23 is provided with peripheral screw threads which engage complementary screw threads in the end portion of the sleeve, while in the modified construction shown in Fig. 5 a hollow plug having a` smooth periphery is retained in a countersunk recess in the sleeve by bending or spinning the end of the sleeve over the plug. In order to eject the lead from the lead holding member the cross-head l6'is moved toward the plug 23 either by the relative rotation of the barrel and point member of the pencil or by pulling the barrel away from the'point member so as to bring the fixed plug 23 in the point member into effective engagement with the movable plug 22, to which the ejector is attached. Upon further movement aftersuch engagement the end of the ejector rod-will be forced lengthwise of the lead holding 'member and its end will disengage the lea-d from the socket in which it is held. When the lead has thus been forced from its socket the; end of the lead holding member `will contract sufficiently to abut the discharged flad l and when the lead holding member is "returned to normal position will eject the lead from the pencil. If for any reason the ejector should fail to operate the lead may be manually.A ejected from the lead holding member by removing the lead holding member from the pencil and inserting a small-instrument such as a pin in the slot beyond the end 13 of the section of lead and then forcing the lead out of the recess in which it is seated.

A, guide plug 26, having an opening therethrou h, the end 27 of which `is trumpetshaped, may be used to guide the end of the lead holding member into the opening 3 'when said member is being placed within i rying extra leads for use in the pencil. The

chamber is closed by means of a.cap 30 of any ornamental design which is screwed into the end of the barrel so that it may be removed to enable the leads to be taken from the pencil for use.

A tip 31,l preferably of hardened steel, forms the extreme end of the Vpoint member and the opening through the tip is of such a.

size that it frictionally engages the periphery of the sectionof lead used inthe pencil. Thus the llead is held solidly in the pencil and there is no objectionable ,looseness or play of theouter end 5 of the lead. The tip 31 may be held on the outer member in any manner but in the preferred form of the invention a boss 32 on the tip extends up within the point member to hold the tip in place. The opening through the boss-1s.

the same size as the opening 3 through' the point member and tapers at 33 to join the smaller opening through the tip so that there is no shoulder which might catch the outer end 5 of thelead When'it is being projected out of the pencil after being Withdrawn into the opening` 3.

When the parts of the pencil are in the position shown in Fig. l the pencil is ready for writing cand when it is desired to move the lead either to" advance 'the lead or withdraw the erid 5 within the tip 3l the point member is gripped and the barrel 'rotated' relatively to' the point member. By the action of the threads 17 and 18 this rotation of the barrel causes the cross-head and lead holding member to move longitudinally of the pencil to propel or repel the lead.

When the lead has been used 'and it is desired to insert a new lead the point member and barrel are rotated orpulled apart to drive the cross-head 16 toward the threaded plug 23. This action, as above explained, causes the end 24 of the rod to force the section of lead out of` the lead holding member. -\,The expelledsection of, lead is then lying loosely in the opening 3 andv upon movement of the lead holding member toward the tip y31 the section of lead will be pushed through the tip and point of zthe pencil. l l

If,.for any reason, the ejector unit fails to operate within the pencil, the point member and sleeve with the lead holding member and ejector unit may be moved from the pencil. This is done by rotating the barrel relatively to the point member until the cross-head isl driven asffar as itv will go toward ,theV end 23 of the guideway. Upon with the cross-head in the guidewayat the end 34 thereof. Then with a match or other implement inserted through the hollow lug 23 or through the guideway slots the sli ing plug may be moved to the tip of the pencil to force the lead through the tip. The wire or rod 20 is preferably of such a length that when the ,sliding plug ismoved toward the tip of the pencil as far as it will go the end 24 of the wire will project through the point of the pencil beyond the tip thus insuring the expulsion of the lead not only from the lead holdingA member but also from the point member.

Should the lead so firmly be seated in' the lead holding member it can not be eztpelled by the ejector unit without damage thereto, the threaded plug is unscrewed and the ejector unitremoved through the end of the sleeve. The cross-head and lead holding member may then be moved relatively.

to'the sleeve until the cross-head is at the vrear end 35 of the guideway at which time the cross-head and .lead holding. member will drop from the sleeve through the guideway after which by means of a pin inserted through the slot 14 the used section of lead. may be removed from the recess.

"The pencil may then be re-assembled and ment longitudinally thereof having ,a recess extending 'from' one end of said member l longitudinally thereof, the Wall of the recess being convergingly tapered inwardly to grip the end portion of a section of lead and.

having a 'single slot extending well above and below the end ofthe section of# lead when in the recess to provide -access to lthe end of said section oflead and means to advance and retract the lead holding member. 2. A lead propel-ling and retracting pencil comprising a body, an elongated lead holding member mounted therein for movement longitudinally thereof having a recess eX- tenndingfrom one end of said member longitudinally thereof, the Wall -of the recessbeing convergingly tapered linwardly to grip and shouldered to engage the end of a section of lead and having aY single slot extending-from the end of the member wel-l beyond the end of thevs'ection of lead when in the recess to provide access y'to the end of said section of lead and means to advance and retract the lead holding member 3. A lead propelling and retracting pencil` comprising a body, an elongated tubular lead holding member, mounted therein' for movement longitudinally thereof, having the bore of the tube cylindrically enlargedl for a distancev from the end of said member to receive the end of a section ot lead and then tapered toward the original bore and presenting av shoulder at thc.end of the tapered portion lead, and means to advance and retract the lead holding member whereby a section ot' lead ma'y' iirmly be gripped by the lead Holding member placing the end of the lead in'the enlarged portion yotthe bore and comprising av bod vlead holdmg mem er mounted therein tor then forcing it into the tapered portion.

4, YA lead propelling and retracting pencil comprising a body',l an elongated tubular lead holding member mounted therein for movement longitudinally thereof having the end of the member shaped to grip the end ot' a section of lead, means to .expel the lead from the lead holding member comprising anejectingrod teleseopical y mounted in the lead holding member and movable relatively thereto Iwhen the lead holding member is iniany position, and means to limit the movement of the rod.

5. A lead propelling and rctracting pencil an elongated tubular movement longitudinally thereof having the end otthe member shaped to grip the end of a section' of:V lead, means to expel the lead from the lead holding member comprising an ejecting rod telescopically mounted in the.

le'ad'holding" member and movable relatively thereto When the lead holding member is `in any position, means to limit the movement of the rod and means to advance and retract the leadiholding member to propel and repel to engage the end ot therseaooe the lead and to telescope the rod in the lead holding member ito eject the lead.

6. A'lead propelling and retracting pencil l comprising a cylindrical barrel having an internally screw threaded Wall, a point member having a sleeve fitting and reciprocably mounted in said barrel and rovided at its upperend -Witha hollow p ug, a tubular lead-holding member reciprocably mounted.

in said point member and having a slotted end provided with av tapered recess to grip the end of a section of the lead` a lead ex-V pelling device comprising'a rod extending' through said cross head and into said tubular member and having means-adapted upon relative movement of said barrel and said point member to engage said stationary plug and upon further movement to be actuated by said plug to force the lead from said lead holding member when the lead holding member is in any position of adjustment..`

7. A lead propelling and retracting pencil comprising a cylindrical barrel having an internally screw threaded Wall, a point member having a sleeve fitting and reciprocably mounted in said barrel` and movement of said barrel and said point'v member to engage said stationary plug and upon further movement yto be actuated bysaid plug to force the lead frm said lead, holding member when thelead holding mem-4 ber is in any positionof adjustment.

In testimony whereof, I have signed mv.A

name to this specification.

'ALEX LIETZKY.'

provided' at its upper end with a hollowplug, a tubu-' reciprocably 4' 

